As near as I can tell almost the entire Southwest Pa corner went dark this afternoon. No mention on the news, The power Co’s web site, ever unhelpful was reporting a few hundred customers out.

Boat Stuff: To speed things along with the boat build, I started to acquire found objects, Mostly framing lumber to bring the cost down, So I can spend more on the important stuff. During the power outage I did another full scale mock up and it does help to get the feel for the boat. I did a 4×16 first and that’s a no go. I might just go on and build a puddle duck. So I went to the 6×18 and that is set. Money is tight right now with the recent funeral and expenses, But it’s still doable. Now I need to get my cousins broke ass van outa my build space. One person commented that I should buy a boat rather than build one. I’m sorry. But, one doesn’t see a shoal depth camping sailer everyday. This build is right for every reason a pointy boat is wrong. Amenities on this boat? What amenities? This is gonna be minimal at it’s best. This is a Poor Man’s boat, Short on money, Long on fun!

Today’s Improvisation: Weather today was sweltering. The power was down, So I rigged a 24×24 solar panel to two 12 volt car fans, and Yay! A pretty good widow fan. I had the panel and the fans for the boat build and the boat ain’t built yet. So, I can unplug the old on the grid fan for the new “FREE POWER” fan. Another one bites the dust. That leaves me one computer, a microwave, One coffee maker, and the refrigerator left. Less money spent to the sleezey power Co. parasites. Definition: Parasitism is a non-mutual relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Like politicians, utility companies, Ex-spouses….Ect.

8 Responses to Grid Down, Boat Stuff, A Solar Improvisation…

Gotta love found building materials.
It amazes me what people just throw away.
I welded up a little cart for my wire feed welder at home while at work yesterday just from stuff our fabricator threw in the dumpster the day before, wheels and all.
It was almost like the guy put it there on purpose even though I know he didn’t. Took about a half an hour.The only thing I had to do was grind off some sharp edges, pound a couple pieces to square them up, clamp it and weld it.
I also drug out about two hundred pounds of all kinds of steel,angle, pipe, even a bunch of stainless stuff.Square tube, I swear, I am going to have enough to build a car trailer eventually, all from scrap.

It’s feast or famine as the found stuff goes for me. My trike build got sidelined when I could not find any suitable donor vehicles. Found wood for the boat framing was a windfall for sure. it opens up the budget for better glues and epoxies. I’m not cutting any corners on the hull, I want it to give many years of service in the most adverse conditions imaginable.

Glad to see you are back on-line. Shallow draft is hard to find in a second hand commercially built boat. Heck, they call boats with a 3 and 4 foot draft -shoal draft. Lucky my Oday 19 has a swing keel and can draw only a foot. Saved my butt when we lost the boat channel last year in the dark. Also get into lots of great areas bigger boats can’t get into.

Is is my perfect boat? Far from it, but it’s the boat I own and will do the job. I’m lucky the wife is nearly as crazy as I am.

6X18 sounds like a good size. A heck of a lot more displacement than the 4X16. Everything is a compromise with boats.

I can pretty much run the boat on a 30 watt solar panel. Of course, my power needs are few.

Plan on sailing southern waters this winter? We have got to share a drink on the water someday.

I’m on a tight power budget, so anything I can make with a panel is money well spent. The utilities have been overcharging me for the last year or so. So I’m fighting them and reducing my dependance on them. The boat may be a 6×20 if I can find a 5 horse kicker for it.
A family member is supposed to take possession of the house soon and I’m trying my damnedest to get the boat on the water about the same time frame. I put back some Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and some Captain Morgan, just for the occasion of meeting some of my internet friends. The boat will have a well provisioned cellar, now that I no longer drink everything in sight as soon as it shows up. The sail plan is still up in the air as the crab claw mod is a daunting undertaking. I can’t settle on control rigging for it. Some days I’m tempted to sail her with 2 balanced lugs or 2 junk rigs in a biplane config.

Maybe we will get to meet on the water. I’ll still be on-line, that is, if anyone is.
2 lugs, or one lug one mizzen? How about schooner rigged junk sails? Would that cause cabin and cargo space issues?

Old motors can be found.

Crab claw is interesting, but I’d want to go sailing rather than experiment.

I’m going to go with the recommended lug and mizzen for the og-12, but want to experiment with junk rigs.

I’m getting to like a 2 abreast balanced lugs or junk sails ( some of the duckers are playing with them. ). The balanced junk sails look to be the easier to reef in or out. Add the advantage of shorter unstayed mast’s, Looks like a win-win to me.
I’m almost tempted to run two abreast fore and aft. I would run say them at 55 sq ft each. the problems are I don’t know how this will scale up from my models and it is to complex for a novice solo sailor.
Getting back to the real, I think 2 balanced lugs or 2 balanced junk rigs ( schooner rigged? ), one fore one aft would fit the bill nicely at about 65 sq ft each at a max of 85 sq ft. When folks what I got planned in motion they will exclaim WTF! One thing us po folks got is that tyvek is cheap and easy to experiment with. I have discounted a yawl rig for this boat. It might be the ticket fore a goose though.
All cabin and cargo space issues are of secondary import to the main motive power of the boat. Speed and simplicity of handling is of concern.